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In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center opened a clinic dedicated to providing care for transgender individuals. However, in the following years, conservatives raised concerns and demanded an investigation into the clinic.
Written by Emily Cochrane
In 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced the opening of a new clinic specifically for transgender individuals. However, the announcement did not receive much recognition. The press release contained only basic information such as the clinic’s address, operating hours, and the names of two key staff members.
Four years after its opening, the clinic gained attention when Matt Walsh, a conservative political commentator at The Daily Wire in Nashville, created a series of posts and videos discussing the clinic. In these posts, it was mentioned that a staff member at the clinic had referred to gender-affirming medication and surgery as profit-making tools and used harsh language to describe the treatments provided at the center.
The healthcare facility, independent of Vanderbilt University, responded by stating that its purpose is to cater to a group at high risk for mental and physical health problems, who have historically not received adequate attention from the American healthcare system.
The medical center stated that they do not treat children under 18 without parental consent and will not require employees to provide care if they have personal or religious objections.
Members of the conservative party demanded a thorough examination of the clinic, and prominent Republican figures delivered speeches at a rally orchestrated by Mr. Walsh in Nashville in October 2022 to denounce gender-affirming treatments for minors. During the January 2023 session of Tennessee’s legislative body, a proposed prohibition on gender-affirming care was introduced as Senate Bill 1. Despite opposition from transgender individuals and the majority of Democrats, the bill was successfully passed by lawmakers.
Emily Cochrane is a journalist who reports on news from the American South for The Times. She works out of Nashville and focuses on covering stories in that region. For more information
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